Resist developing method by magnetic field controlling, resist developing apparatus and method of fabricating semiconductor device

ABSTRACT

A semiconductor device is fabricated by the steps of coating an underlayer formed on a semiconductor substrate with chemically amplified resist, exposing the resist to light, bringing the resist into contact with an alkaline developing solution with applying a magnetic field to the alkaline developing solution for conducting development to form a resist pattern, and etching the underlayer on the semiconductor substrate using the resist pattern as a mask.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a resist developing method by magneticfield controlling, a resist developing apparatus and a method offabricating a semiconductor device.

For manufacturing a semiconductor device of the next generation, forexample, 1-Gbit DRAM, it is aimed to use a ground rule of 0.15 μm orless of a circuit pattern formed via resist coating, exposure,development and etching. For increasing the yield of semiconductor chipsand improving the productivity, it is required that the pattern size isuniform in whole surface of a semiconductor wafer. Further, uniformityof the pattern size is required to be more excellent than that obtainedby the present technique. Concretely, tolerance in error of a fabricatedpattern size with respect to the designed size is more severelyrestricted to ±5%, which is ±10% in the present condition. To meet suchrequirements become more difficult with enlargement of the size of asemiconductor wafer from 8 inch to 12 inch.

For satisfying the above-described requirements, it is investigated tochange KrF excimer laser having a wavelength of 248 nm used in a presentexposure system to ArF excimer laser having a wavelength of 193 nm.However, the change of a light source requires improvement of the entireexposure system including a resist. Therefore, it is necessary toimprove lithography process to satisfy the above-described requirementusing the present exposure system.

In an advanced resist process, there is adopted a method in which achemically amplified positive resist containing an acid generator isused and development is conducted using an alkaline developing solution,for example, an aqueous tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) solution.Concretely, a resist is applied to a semiconductor wafer and exposed tolight by which an acid generates from an acid generator in the resist.By the action of the generated acid, a substituent having dissolutioninhibiting ability, for example, a t-butyl ester group, is released froma resist resin and the resin becomes soluble in an alkali solution (a).On the other hand, TMAH in a developing solution is dissociated intoN(CH₃)₄ ⁺ ion and OH⁻ ion (b). Then, development progresses by theneutralization reaction of a cation in the developing solution with theresist component which has become alkali-soluble. This reaction model isrepresented by the following formula. ##STR1##

The ions in the developing solution are transported by diffusion andconvection and reach the reaction site of the resist to carry outdevelopment. However, by the reaction of an alkali in the developingsolution with the alkali-soluble component in the resist, a neutralreaction products are produced, and these reaction products preventanother ions from reaching the reaction site of the resist. Therefore,depending on the position in the semiconductor wafer surface, there is apossibility that the above-described neutralization reaction does notprogress sufficiently. As a result, uniformity of a resist pattern islost in the semiconductor wafer surface.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to improve uniformity of thedeveloped resist profile in the semiconductor wafer surface.

The resist developing method of the present invention comprises stepsof: coating an article to be treated with a chemically amplified resist;exposing the resist to light; and bringing the resist into contact withan alkaline developing solution for conducting development with applyinga magnetic field to the alkaline developing solution.

The resist developing apparatus of the present invention comprises arotating axis for pivotally supporting a semiconductor wafer coated witha chemically amplified resist, a nozzle for supplying an alkalinedeveloping solution to the resist, and a means for applying a magneticfield to the alkaline developing solution on the resist.

The method of fabricating a semiconductor device of the presentinvention comprises steps of: coating an underlayer formed on asemiconductor substrate with a chemically amplified resist; exposing theresist to light; and bringing the resist into contact with an alkalinedeveloping solution with applying a magnetic field to the alkalinedeveloping solution for conducting development to form a resist pattern;and etching the underlayer using the resist pattern as a mask.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth inthe description which follows, and in part will be obvious from thedescription, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectsand advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means ofthe instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of the specification, illustrate presently preferred embodiments ofthe invention, and together with the general description given above andthe detailed description of the preferred embodiments given below, serveto explain the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows Lorentz force acting on an ion in a developing solution;

FIG. 2 shows the developing apparatus of the present invention;

FIGS. 3A to 3C show the direction of a magnetic field applied to adeveloping solution; and

FIGS. 4A to 4C show a method for patterning an oxide film on a siliconsubstrate by the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The principle of the present invention will be described below. Forprogressing development of a chemically amplified resist by an alkalinedeveloping solution, it is effective to promote motions of ions in thedeveloping solution to make it easy for the ions to reach the reactionsite of the resist. In the present invention, a magnetic field isapplied to the developing solution for imparting Lorentz force to theions in the developing solution to promote their motions. This mechanismis described referring to FIG. 1. When a cation K⁺ in the developingsolution diffuses along x direction, an electric field is formed. Inthis condition, when a magnetic field is applied to z direction, thecation K⁺ in the developing solution receives Lorentz force representedby the following equation:

    F=q(E+vB)

wherein, F is Lorentz force, q is electric charge, E is electric field,v is speed of a particle, and B is magnetic flux density. Therefore, thecation K⁺ moves along y direction. By forcefully moving the cation K⁺ byimparting Lorenz force as described above, the cation can easily reachthe reaction site of the resist and development can be progresseduniformly. Therefore, uniformity of developed resist profile in thesurface can be improved.

In the present invention, a chemically amplified resist is applied to anarticle to be treated, for example, a semiconductor substrate, andexposed to light, then, the article is placed on a developing apparatusequipped with a magnetic field generating means. The magnetic fieldgenerating means may be a permanent magnet or electromagnet, and it ispreferable to change the direction and strength of a magnetic fieldusing an electromagnet.

The embodiments of the present invention will be described belowreferring to drawings.

FIG. 2 shows a developing apparatus according to the present invention.A semiconductor wafer 10 which has been subjected to the exposure stepof a resist is held by a vacuum chuck on the rotating axis 1 of thedeveloping apparatus. A developing solution is dropped on asemiconductor wafer 10 from a nozzle 2. Around the developing apparatus,a coil 3 for applying a magnetic field in the vertical direction and acoil 4 for applying a magnetic field in the horizontal direction aredisposed. The magnetic flux density is set, for example, at 120 gauss,and may be changed in the range from 100 to 200 gauss. Further, as shownin FIGS. 3A to 3C, the direction of a magnetic field can be changedoptionally by changing the direction of electric current and a coilused.

Next, a method for patterning a silicon oxide film formed on a siliconsubstrate.

As shown in FIG. 4A, an SiO₂ film 12 is formed on the surface of an8-inch Si wafer 11. An anti-reflective coating 13 (manufactured byShipley, trade name: BARL) is spin-coated at a thickness of 90 nm on theSiO₂ film 12, and then baked for 60 seconds at 225° C. A chemicallyamplified positive resist 14 (manufactured by Shipley, trade name:APEX-E) is spin-coated at a thickness of 600 nm on the anti-reflectivecoating 13, and then baked for 60 seconds at 90° C.

The resist is exposed using a KrF excimer laser aligner (manufactured byNikon, S201A) NA=0.6, δ=0.75, wavelength: 248 nm!, and 0.25 μmline-and-space (L/S) pattern is formed. Then, the resist is subjected topost-exposure bake (PEB) at 90° C. for 90 seconds.

Next, the resist is subjected to paddle development for 90 seconds by a0.21N aqueous tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) solution using adeveloping apparatus shown in FIG. 2. In this process, a magnetic fieldis applied to the developing solution by the following procedure. (1)Development is carried out for 10 seconds with applying an upwardmagnetic field to the developing solution as shown in FIG. 3A andwithout rotating the wafer. (2) Development is carried out for 10seconds with applying a downward magnetic field to the developingsolution as shown in FIG. 3B and without rotating the wafer. (3)Development is carried out for 10 seconds with applying a magnetic fieldin horizontal direction to the developing solution as shown in FIG. 3Cand with rotating the wafer at 30 rpm. In this step, the direction of amagnetic field applied to the developing solution is substantiallychanged by rotating the wafer. Steps (1) to (3) are repeated for 3cycles. In this way, by applying a magnetic field to the developingsolution in all directions, developing is progressed uniformly in thewafer surface.

As shown in FIG. 4B, the exposed part of a resist 14 is removed to forma resist pattern, followed by rinsed with pure water. Then, theanti-reflective coating 13 is removed by reactive ion etching (RIE)using the resist pattern as a mask. Optionally, the resist pattern issubjected to drying bake at 130° C. for 60 seconds.

Then, as shown in FIG. 4C, the SiO₂ film 12 is etched by reactive ionetching (RIE) using the resist pattern as a mask.

When the method of the present invention is used, since uniformity ofthe developed resist profile in the semiconductor wafer surface isimproved, uniformity of the pattern of the SiO₂ film 12 formed byetching using this resist profile as a mask is also improved.

Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to thoseskilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects isnot limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shownand described herein. Accordingly, various modifications may be madewithout departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventiveconcept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

I claim:
 1. A resist developing method comprising the steps of:coating an article to be treated with a chemically amplified resist; exposing the resist to light; and bringing the resist into contact with an alkaline developing solution for conducting development with applying a magnetic field to the alkaline developing solution.
 2. The method according to claim 1, whereinthe magnetic field is applied in vertical direction.
 3. The method according to claim 1, whereinthe magnetic field is applied in horizontal direction and the article to be treated is rotated.
 4. The method according to claim 1, whereinthe resist is developed by repeating the steps of:applying a magnetic field in upward direction to the alkaline developing solution; applying a magnetic field in downward direction to the alkaline developing solution; and applying a magnetic field in horizontal direction to the alkaline developing solution with rotating the article to be treated.
 5. A method of fabricating a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:coating an underlayer formed on a semiconductor substrate with a chemically amplified resist; exposing the resist to light; bringing the resist into contact with an alkaline developing solution with applying a magnetic field to the alkaline solution for conducting development to form a resist pattern; and etching the underlayer on the semiconductor substrate using the resist pattern as a mask.
 6. The method according to claim 5, whereinthe magnetic field is applied in vertical direction.
 7. The method according to claim 5, whereinthe magnetic field is applied in horizontal direction and the semiconductor substrate is rotated.
 8. The method according to claim 5, whereinthe resist is developed by repeating the steps of:applying a magnetic field in upward direction to the alkaline developing solution; applying a magnetic field in downward direction to the alkaline developing solution; and applying a magnetic field in horizontal direction to the alkaline developing solution and rotating the semiconductor substrate. 